Passive Voice and Passival Tense

Don’t go nuts trying to always avoid passive. Here is a useful illustration of other verb forms being confused for passive in student paper-grading, and links to Language Log posts on the passive voice.

Progressive: She put out the fire.Passive: The fire was put out (by her).Passival: The fire was putting out (by her).Progressive+passive: The fire was being put out (by her).Pennsylvania Dutch past perfect: She has outened the fire.